Alex McLeish will be presented as the new manager of Birmingham City this morning after dramatically resigning from his position as Scotland manager yesterday afternoon. No sooner had McLeish touched down in Glasgow with Gordon Smith, the Scottish FA (SFA) chief executive, and George Peat, the governing body’s president, from the World Cup draw in South Africa than he was instructing Blair Morgan, his agent, to compose a letter of resignation. Birmingham, who had spent the previous 48 hours courting McLeish, immediately announced a press conference for 10.30 this morning.

The SFA was not exactly taken aback by the move, but the abruptness of McLeish’s departure is startling nevertheless. He had spent the weekend in South Africa picking over the possibility of an improved deal with Scotland, even though Smith and Peat were aware that his goal was to manage in the Barclays Premier League.

McLeish is expected to take Andy Watson, his long-time No 2, as well as Roy Aitken, his Scotland backroom coach, with him to St Andrew’s. It is believed that the SFA will want a compensation package of more than £800,000 for the loss of its managerial team. McLeish will thus become the shortest-reigning Scotland manager of the modern era, having been in charge two days short of ten months.

Last night there was speculation over McLeish’s likely successor, with such names as Billy Davies, who left Derby County by mutual consent this week, and Craig Levein, of Dundee United, being mooted. But the SFA is in no rush to appoint a successor, with Scotland facing no immediate meaningful agenda.

Smith admitted to an element of surprise in the swiftness of McLeish’s move, although he had expected it to happen. The SFA had been due to meet today to discuss Birmingham’s approach — and to reject it — but with McLeish’s resignation, that meeting has become redundant.

“Alex has not said anything to us but has offered his written resignation,” Smith said. “We had been sitting down to talk and I had broached the subject in South Africa of increasing his current deal, time-wise and finance-wise. Alex has been a terrific manager for Scotland and a terrific asset to the SFA, so he’ll be a big loss.

“The meeting we had planned for tomorrow has obviously now lost a bit of its impact. I didn’t think we would be dealing with this issue today, but it is just one of those things, it’s market forces. These days the Premier League in England is where most guys want to be.”

Peat also expressed his disappointment in the move by McLeish, not to say his frustration at the SFA’s apparent impotence in the situation. “I’m disappointed that Alex has chosen this course of action because he has done a fantastic job,” Peat said. “Everyone at the SFA and Scottish football fans around the world had been looking forward to Alex leading us into the World Cup qualifiers, which is why we chose to offer him a contract extension. Sadly, Alex has chosen not to take up that offer.”

The move to Birmingham for McLeish restores one delicious ingredient that thus far has been played out exclusively in an Old Firm context: McLeish pitting his wits against Martin O’Neill as city rivals. The next Birmingham derby is going to attract a posse of Scottish media personnel to take in the spectacle.

It was a scenario not lost on the Aston Villa manager yesterday. “Birmingham will be getting a very good manager indeed,” O’Neill said. “We had some great rivalry when he was at Rangers and I was at Celtic and, while we did not particularly mix socially, I think he would be terrific for the Premier League.

“I can’t pretend to know what he does in his training sessions or how he motivates his players, but he is able to do that. I know the Scottish players think a lot of him. They went very, very close to qualifying themselves. The Scottish FA will be disappointed — that’s two good managers they’ve lost now, with Alex following Walter Smith in choosing to leave.”

The fans also had their say on a difficult day for the national team. Hamish Husband, the Association of Tartan Army Clubs spokesman, believes that there will be no hard feelings towards McLeish but believes Birmingham represents a poor move. “I don’t think many of the fans will hold it against him, but I’m disappointed it was the first club that came calling,” he said. “There are bigger fish that would have taken Alex McLeish, possibly abroad.”